Young Thespians: Spring is here  no joke, but plenty of productions in area

Spring is here. I swear!
In fact, for some schools, spring musical season has already come to a close. For many of them, however, it was not without some drama.
The power outage in Lake County March 8 wreaked havoc with my production of “Thoroughly Modern Millie, Jr.” at Memorial Middle School in Mentor. We showed up in the dark and did our power dance, however, and — after a one-hour delay — got in both our matinee and evening shows!
Would you believe we had a decent house for our afternoon show after all that? Thank goodness for Twitter! Sometimes kids having phones is not all bad!
Our shows were terrific. Congratulations to all the casts and crews that performed last weekend — sometimes against great odds. But no matter what Mother Nature or our ancient electric grid throws at us, the show must go on!
This weekend is no exception to that old theater adage. Read on to see who will be treading the boards this weekend:Geauga Lyric Theatre Guild
There always seems to be something staged at the old movie theater on the square in Chardon, and this weekend is no different.
This time around, the play is “The Westing Game,” a straight show based on the Newbery Award-winning novel by Ellen Raskin. The show is adapted by Darian Lindle and directed by Angela Miloro-Hansen, and opens at the Geauga Theater on March 14.
“I think it’s a very well-crafted story,” says Meg May, who plays Judge Ford in this murder mystery, “and it’s quite different from anything I’ve acted in before. I am interested to see how the audience responds, particularly whether they will try to figure out the answer as we go along, and when — if they are able to!”
The plot revolves around the unsuspecting residents of Sunset Towers as they are summoned to the reading of a mysterious will. They find themselves locked in a thrilling game, as they must discover who is responsible for killing an eccentric millionaire. Through blizzards, bombings, and unlikely alliances, the game begins.
Blizzards. Is this an outdoor show?
Performances of “The Westing Game” run from March 14 through March 30, and content is appropriate for all ages. Friday and Saturday evening performances are at 8 p.m.; Sunday performances at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $13 for students and seniors, and $8 for ages 10 and under.
For information on a special student rate performance sponsored by Middlefield Bank please call 440-285-7701. The historic Geauga Theater is located on Chardon Square at 101 Water St. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.geaugatheater.org or call the box office.
Katie Sweet is a 12-year-old from Chardon who plays Turtle Wexler
“I auditioned for this show because I’ve always wanted to be in a show that the audience really has to pay attention to get the full story,” Katie says. “And this is definitely that kind of show.
Katie is a GLTG veteran, having performed in 10 previous productions there.
“My favorite part of being in this production is the technology because we have some really awesome effects and surprises,” Katie says. “I will be auditioning for other shows because I love acting.”
Andrew Kotlar is a home-schooled student playing D. Denton Deere.
“I auditioned for this show because the script was very well thought out and offered very diverse characters,” Andrew says. “And who doesn’t love a good murder mystery?
Andrew is another GLTG pro. He says he has lost count of how many productions he has done there, but thinks it is around 25.
I told you, a show is always going over there!
“I was surprised about the role I got,” Andrew says. “I wasn’t even considering the role of Denton because the character is in his 20s and I’m only 17. But I’m very happy with it! It’s different from most of the roles I’ve played in the past.”
He oughta know. Head out to Chardon this month and get your sleuth on.Harvey High School
The 2014 spring musical at Harvey High School in Painesville is the Tony Award-winning show “In the Heights.”
Performances will be held March 14 at 7:30 p.m., March 15 at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and March 16 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for students and can be purchased at the door prior to the event. There will also be music and food for purchase prior to the opening of each show to help put you in the spirit of Washington Heights.
Riverside High School
Also in Lake County, Riverside Theater is getting ready to present their spring musical as well. This weekend they are happy to present “Brigadoon” March 14 and 15 at 7:30 p.m. Presale tickets are $8, or $10 at the door.
Come out and see any of these young thespians this weekend — and hope for them that the power stays on.

If you have a production yourself that you would like to see profiled, visit the Young Thespians Facebook group page and talk about upcoming productions and current efforts with other interested fans of the theater in Northeast Ohio. Please join the group, get in on some of the discussions, and create some of your own!
So if you have a story idea that would be appropriate for this column, join the Young Thespians Facebook group page to contribute or, as always, email me at stevecouch@windstream.net.